The latest (presumably the last) registration report from the Transplant Games of America shows that there are 98 people registered for Team Michigan. We are very pleasantly surprised that so many of us are able to go so far to celebrate life and to honor those whose generosity and compassion saved the lives of others.

We will have further updates in the few days before we depart for the games. For now, remember the uniforms pick-up. We will be in Ann Arbor from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 this coming Saturday. We will be at the Gift of Life headquarters at 3861 Research Park Drive. The entrance is in the back of the building.

At 12:30 we will close in Ann Arbor to sprint to Grand Rapids where we will be at the Bicycle Factory, 201 Front St., SW from 3 to 4 p.m.

If you can not find a way to pick up your uniforms and save Team Michigan the ordeal of shipping them, get a teammate or other friend to pick yours up. We will, in no circumstances take uniforms to Houston. We have tried to minimize our costs by ordering only what you have asked us to order, so we must be very careful in filling the orders and you must help us by claiming yours this weekend.

The entire organizing committee thanks all of you for your patience and support. Winston Churchill once said, in the early days of WWII, "We are not at the end, but we're at the end of the beginning". That's how we're beginning to feel as we draw near to departure.

We will all be together at the headquarters hotel at 3:30 on Saturday, July 12 for our Team Michigan kick-off luncheon. Even before that many of us will have run and walked through the heat of Houston in the opening event, the 5k road race. We can't wait!